


cold nights mean cuddles and honest confessions

by DerpinDot



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Really genuine Annabeth, Romance, Sharing a Sleeping Bag, Sleepy Cuddles, Some angst, confession but Percy is asleep, how does one tag, kinda emotional, nice resolution, which Annabeth waited for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29102763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerpinDot/pseuds/DerpinDot
Summary: “You know, it’s not lost on me that my greatest weakness, my pride, is that I want to build something permanent, and your greatest weakness is you're too loyal.”ORIn which Percy and Annabeth have to share a sleeping bag for warmth, Percy falls asleep and Annabeth tells him all the things she can’t say when he’s awake. Set between BotL and TLO.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 92





	cold nights mean cuddles and honest confessions

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in about two- two and a half hours lol. Inspired in part by my love of cuddling in stories, especially when in response to the cold, in part by my desire to show what I feel Annabeth’s POV during this point in the series was, and finally in part by a girlfriend I had in high school, who told me long after our relationship was over (we stayed friends) that she would stop talking some nights on the phone so I’d fall asleep, then once I had she would tell me how she felt about me.
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy!

“I can’t believe this,” Annabeth muttered, her cheeks flushed. Percy looked both embarrassed and afraid, which she may have found cute if she weren’t so embarrassed herself.

It had been a fairly routine mission: go kill some monsters being used by Kronos. 

Getting where they needed to go: simple. Killing the monsters in question: simple. Getting lost in the middle of nowhere at night: complicated. Sudden snowstorm: complicated.

Having to share a sleeping bag with Percy in an abandoned, run down warehouse for warmth? Annabeth knew the Fates were laughing at her.

“We- we don’t have to-“ Percy started, but his teeth chattered so hard he couldn’t finish his sentence. 

Annabeth shook her head in annoyance. “You think I would’ve suggested this if there were another option?” she stuttered out. “Come on.”

They were using Percy’s sleeping bag, since it was larger, using his backpack as a pillow, since he always overpacked, and they had awkwardly draped Annabeth’s sleeping bag over his to try and shield out some of the cold. Still, the warehouse they were in had holes in the walls and ceiling and it was cold enough neither wanted to risk getting hypothermia.

Reluctantly, Percy climbed into the bag with her. It was a  _ very _ tight fit. They could barely get the zipper closed.

Once they settled, Annabeth’s heart fluttered in her chest. Their faces were _so_ _close._ She could feel his warm breath against her face. Her eyes instinctively flickered down to his lips, and she pursed her lips.

“This reminds me of that day at camp,” Percy said suddenly. “Last year, in line for the obstacle course.”

Annabeth was thankful her cheeks were already flushed, so she couldn’t blush any harder. She’d been so close to kissing him that day. But after Chiron interrupted and they’d both run the course, Percy didn’t follow her down to the lake. She’d watched him just go back to his cabin like the stupid Seaweed Brain that he is.

“Yeah,” she muttered, “me too.”

They laid in awkward silence for a while after that. Percy stared anywhere but her eyes, so she kept her gaze fixed steadily on his chin. She wondered if he was thinking about that mortal girl. She wondered if he’d held her this way over the summer.

Annabeth’s muscles tightened as her teeth audibly snapped shut, even over the howling wind.

Percy pulled her closer, concern on his face. “What’s wrong, are you okay?” Upon seeing her face he winced. “I can get out-“

“No,” she growled, digging her icy fingers into his back. “For the last time, stay.”

Percy looked slightly alarmed but nodded. Annabeth desperately searched his face for any sign that he  _ wanted _ to stay, but his sea green eyes gave away nothing.

If it weren’t for the fact she knew he was keeping secrets, she may have thought they had nothing to hide.

“Annabeth,” Percy said quietly, as if he could read her thoughts, “you know how important you are to me, right?”

He began rubbing her back in a way that was probably meant to be soothing, but his frigid fingers just made her tense up more.

She took a long look into his eyes. He seemed genuine. Her eyes started to water.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice breaking a bit.  _ But is she more important than me? _ Percy didn’t look reassured but nodded. 

Annabeth tucked her head into the base of his neck in case she started crying. Percy didn’t say anything else. He knew her well enough to tell she didn’t want to talk.

After a while, Percy stopped rubbing her back. Annabeth waited a few more minutes before gently calling his name.

“Percy?” she asked softly. Nothing.

“Percy?” she tried again, slightly louder. She jumped a little when he snored in response, then silently laughed at herself.

_ Fearless in the face of cyclops, startled by your boyfriend’s- _

She stopped short. Percy wasn’t her boyfriend. There was a really good chance he never would be.

“I’m really scared, Percy,” she said quietly.

Maybe she couldn’t tell him these things while he was awake, but right here, right now… maybe she could finally admit how hard things were for her. She deserved to vent, and he may be asleep for it, but she still wanted to tell him how she felt.

“I like you,” she whispered. “A lot. More than I should have let myself, considering what I know about the Great Prophecy…

“But that’s your fault, really,” she continued, the words starting to flow more freely. “You’re funny, and smarter than people give you credit for, and you stand for what you believe in. You’ve always had my back, even when we were fighting.”

She looked up at his peacefully sleeping face. Strong emotions welled up inside her, some sweet and some painful, as she caught the last bit of the grey streaks they shared together.

“We’ve always shared our burdens,” she said. “We’ve always tried to help each other, in camp, on quests and even…” she trailed off.  _ Even in the real world. _

“I know I can never give you what she can,” she whispered, her voice raw with emotion. “I will never be normal like she is.

“I know she doesn’t have the baggage I do. With my family, with  _ Luke-“ _

She choked on his name. The tears started flowing now, and she pulled him as close as she could without risking waking him.

The piercing winds outside only muffled the soft cries of a girl on the verge of heartbreak.

Once she was mostly composed, shuddering more from the cold than emotion, she continued.

“I’m not an idiot, Percy,” she whispered angrily, the words she could never say aloud finally finding an outlet.

“I didn’t go with him a year and a half ago because he’s bad. Because he’s killed and hurt our friends. Because he used me, and will use whoever he can. Because he’s willing to burn the world to get his dad.

“I chose Olympus. I chose Camp Half Blood. I chose you-“ she choked back a sob.

_ And you aren’t choosing me. _

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. 

“But still… I can’t throw away everything he did for me. All the years he helped me, trained me, cared about me. Without him, I’d be dead. I can’t just pretend that doesn’t mean anything to me.”

She thought of all the times she and Percy had argued about why she still cared about him. It occurred to her, not for the first time, Percy could be jealous. She clenched her jaw at the thought.

“Why can’t you understand? Even if I can save him from Kronos, nothing’s going to happen there. He’s not competition for you. He wouldn’t just come back to Camp Half Blood. The gods would punish him, and that would be the end of it. 

“But at least… at least he would die  _ Luke _ .”

Annabeth closed her eyes, pressing her nose to the hollow of Percy’s throat. He grumbled and she tensed, but when he leaned into her and snored again she relaxed.

“...beth,” he mumbled.

She froze. Over the years, Annabeth discovered Percy would talk in his sleep sometimes. She waited, silent other than a pounding heart, to see if he said anymore.

“Mine,” he said louder. He pulled her closer. With a bit of hope, she wondered what he was dreaming about.

His words came out like slush, and she could only make out half of whatever he was trying to say. “Annabeth… choose… home.”

Annabeth’s heart threatened to burst with all the emotions she felt. Many good, many bad. She couldn’t put names to any of them, they were swirling inside her like a chaotic mess. Some things felt so bad she just wanted to curl up and cry again, while others felt so good they  _ hurt. _

_ Every prophecy has double meanings. They almost never mean the obvious thing. There has to be another meaning, because I just can’t… _

She looked up at his face one more time, now more restless. Rubbing his back like he did for her earlier, she hummed a nursery rhyme her dad used to sing for her when she was very young, one of the few good memories from that time.

The winds had eased outside, and Annabeth’s gentle lullaby helped to ease her troubled mind. She watched with a fond ache in her heart as Percy’s troubled face smoothed into a more peaceful expression. She liked to imagine his dreams were more peaceful with her voice in them.

Gently, she placed a kiss on his cheek. Their noses touched as she finally laid her head down beside his. As she closed her eyes to rest, she said:

“You know, it’s not lost on me that my greatest weakness, my pride, is that I want to build something permanent, and your greatest weakness is you're too loyal. Maybe, someday, together…”

She trailed off. Despite the cold, she slept soundly that night, and dreamed of building things that would last forever.

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s that! I’m not completely satisfied with it by any stretch, but if I had spent more time on it it would’ve defeated the point for me. I wanted to just write something quick, do some minimal editing and throw it out, just so it would be done. Still, I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know what you thought in the comments!
> 
> The day that’s referenced early on in the chapter is another short story of mine, called Cold days lead to the best cuddles. I've decided I'm probably just gonna make a collection either for all my cute oneshots or my cuddle oneshots or both.
> 
> Anywho, hope you enjoyed it! Later!


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